HR-busheling spread stretches again in September

The spread between domestic hot-rolled (HR) coil and prime scrap prices continued to widen in September. It is now up for a 12th straight month, and at the widest gap since January 2022.

Steel Market Update’s (SMU) average HR coil price was $1,225 per short ton (st) FOB mill, east of the Rockies, as of Tuesday, Sept. 8. That’s $20/st higher vs. the previous week and a $45/st increase from a month earlier.

David Schollaert

David Schollaert is deputy editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. He can be contacted at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.